The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, January 27, 2015 — 3

LANSING
Snyder outlines 
priorities for civil 
rights in rare visit

Gov. Rick Snyder, in a rare visit 

Monday, urged the state’s Civil 
Rights Commission to consider a 
range of issues including drones, 
police body cameras and race 
relations while saying Native 
American culture should be 
celebrated more.

Declining 
to 
give 
many 

specifics, 
the 
Republican 

governor 
also 
mentioned 

priorities such as immigration 
— specifically migrant farm 
workers 
— 
disabilities, 
and 

mental 
health 
and 
criminal 

justice issues.

In response to a question from 

a commission member, Snyder 
apologized for forgetting to 
mention his hope that the new 
Legislature continues discussing 
a bill to add protections for 
the lesbian, gay, bisexual and 
transgender 
community 
to 

the state’s civil rights law. The 
measure died in November.

NEW YORK CITY
Northeast winter 
storm could set 
weather record

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said 

at a press conference Sunday, 
“This could be the biggest snow-
storm in the history of this city.” 
The National Weather Service 
(NWS) and Weather Channel 
meteorologist Chris Dolce have 
both said the impending storm is 
“potentially historic.” 

So, what does historic mean, 

and how strong is this “poten-
tially”? It depends on your defi-
nition, but this storm could be 
one for the record books, and not 
just in the highest-3 point-shoot-
ing-percentage-in-the-third-
quarter-with-two-bench-play-
ers-on-the-court-on-a-Tuesday 
type of statistic.

MONTGOMERY
Alabama appeals 
decision blocking 
marriage ban

Alabama on Monday began 

the process of appealing a federal 
judge’s decision that overturned 
the state’s ban on same-sex mar-
riage — a decision that was put 
on hold to allow time for the 
appeal.

At least two same-sex couples 

sought and were refused mar-
riage licenses because of the 
delay, officials said, but there 
were no reports of widespread 
problems or confusion over the 
issue.

Attorney 
General 
Luther 

Strange’s 
office 
filed 
notice 

with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court 
of Appeals in Atlanta saying it 
would challenge the ruling by 
U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. 
Granade of Mobile.

QATAR
Freed Al Qaeda 
agent was part of 
proposed swap for 
jailed Americans

Before he was released from a 

U.S. maximum-security prison 
last week, a confessed al Qaeda 
sleeper agent was offered up in 
a potential prisoner swap that 
would have freed two Americans 
held abroad.

According to two individu-

als with direct knowledge of 
the case, the proposition was 
made shortly after the Obama 
administration traded five Tali-
ban fighters for Army Sgt. Bowe 
Bergdahl. Those fighters were 
also sent to Qatar, where they’re 
to remain under government 
watch until later this year. U.S. 
officials have said they’re at 
risk of plotting further attacks 
against the United States.

—Compiled from 
 Daily wire reports

plan during winter semester to 
address the topic.

Pollack said she is hopeful 

that the University’s efforts to 
reach out to high performance 
students 
from 
low-income 

areas, such as initiatives to 
waive application fees, will 
improve diversity on campus.

University funding was also 

a point of discussion. Noting 
that the majority of public 
higher education institutions 
face a challenge fiscal climate, 
Pollack cited state disinvest-
ment in higher education as a 
continuing challenge for pub-
lic colleges and universities.

“One thing that then hap-

pens is we become more reli-
ant on philanthropy,” Pollack 
said. “The future remains 
challenging and we’ll have 
to work together to address 
them.”

In recent years, the Univer-

sity has ramped up its private 
fundraising. 
In 
November 

2013, the University launched 
the Victors for Michigan cam-
paign. The fundraising effort 
is intended to raise $4 billion, 
a quarter of which will be ear-
marked for scholarships and 
other forms of financial assis-
tance.

During the session, Micro-

biology and Immunity Prof. 
Patrick Schloss asked how 
President 
Barack 
Obama’s 

higher 
education 
proposal 

— to make two years of com-
munity college free for many 
Americans — would impact 
the University.

Pollack responded that the 

more the federal government 
recognizes the value of higher 
education, the better. She said 
it is important that a Universi-
ty education can be affordable 
as well.

“If you’re an in-state stu-

dent from a low-income fam-
ily, a Michigan education can 
be essentially free,” Pollack 
said.

After Pollack concluded her 

presentation, the Assembly 
passed a resolution discour-
aging members from signing 
confidentiality agreements or 
orally agreeing to not disclose 
information from executive 
sessions.

In recent months, SACUA 

members have discussed con-
cerns related to confidentiality 
agreements, particularly the 
agreement for members of the 
University’s Advisory Board 
on Intercollegiate Athletics, 
the body charged with provid-
ing input to the University’s 
Athletic 
Department. 
The 

current confidentiality agree-
ment prevents members of the 
board from discussing con-
cerns with anyone apart from 
the University’s president.

Scott Masten, chair of the 

Senate 
Advisory 
Commit-

tee on University Affairs and 
a professor of business eco-
nomics and public policy, said 
assembly members are cur-
rently asked to serve on vari-
ous University committees 
or advisory boards. Because 
these policies or judgments 
can be sensitive in nature, 
SACUA proposed that con-
fidentiality only be invoked 
for compelling reasons, rath-
er than to avoid debate or 
accountability.

“Both I and SACUA object-

ed to the agreement as being 
excessively broad and restric-
tive, as well as to the fiduciary 
language” Masten wrote in a 
November e-mail interview. 
“We also felt that it conflicted 
with the spirit of the regents’ 
Bylaws, which provide for 
consultation between ABIA 
and SACUA and the Senate 
Assembly.”

The next Senate Assembly 

meeting will be held Feb. 16.

fered the damages were Tree-
tops Resort in Gaylord, Mich., 
and Boyne Highlands in Harbor 
Springs, Mich.

Treetops 
Resort 
manager 

Barry Owens said Friday the 
damages 
would 
likely 
total 

between $85,000 and $100,000.

In the letter, the three student 

leaders note that those respon-
sible will be held accountable 
and will make amends for their 
behavior.

“We will work to restore the 

good balance of our affiliates, 
and we will be looking for ways 
to begin repairing our relation-
ship and trust with each resort 
as well as the communities in 
northern Michigan,” the letter 
said.

The Michigan State Police is 

conducting an investigation on 

the events. Owens also said the 
resort plans to press charges and 
is awaiting the recommendation 
of the Michigan State Police to 
the prosecutor.

Both the Interfraternity Coun-

cil and the Panhellenic Associa-
tion are carrying out a review of 
the incidents.

University spokesperson Rick 

Fitzgerald said the University 
Office of Greek Life is in com-
munication with the local and 
national chapters of the Greek 
organizations 
involved. 
The 

Dean of Students Office has also 
been in contact with the two 
resorts that were damaged.

Fitzgerald said the implica-

tions of a suspension vary by 
national organization.

“This gives us the time and 

space to continue to gather facts 
and make sure that we under-
stand the details of the incident 
very clearly,” he said. “It’s more 
important to make sure we get 

the right information and move 
forward following our estab-
lished processes than to do it by 
a specific deadline.”

Sam Bessey, executive direc-

tor of the Chi Psi fraternity, said 
the University’s chapter can still 
live in the house, however while 
on suspension their social activi-
ties will be restricted.

Bessey did not provide a defi-

nite duration or timeline for the 
chapter’s suspension.

“The purpose of the suspen-

sion is to gives us an opportunity 
to investigate further and deter-
mine the best course of action,” 
Bessey said. “Once we have done 
that we will move forward in the 
way we feel is most appropriate.”

Representatives for both the 

local chapters and national orga-
nizations of Pi Kappa Alpha, 
Sigma Delta Tau, Alpha Phi 
and Delta Gamma could not be 
reached for comment Monday 
afternoon.

same brain pathway that 
could unlock new methods for 
addressing hypoglycemia, or 
low blood sugar.

“We’re looking at the neu-

rons that live downstream 
of these (CCK) because our 
thought is that those neurons 
are the ones that collect the 
signals from the system that 
we just studied, but then also 
from a whole bunch of sys-
tems,” Myers said. “Those are 
the ones that I think if we can 
figure out what’s in them, we 
can probably figure out a way 
to target some kind of thera-
peutic agent for hypoglyce-
mia.”

LSA junior Krysta Walter, 

president of Students for Dia-
betes Awareness, said type 1 
diabetes affects her life every 
day. To be prepared, for unex-
pected drops in blood glucose 
levels she said she must always 
carry her meter, glucose tab-

lets or a juice box.

Engineering senior Brianna 

Wolin was diagnosed with 
diabetes when she was four 
years old and said monitoring 
her insulin a critical part of 
her daily life.

“You could literally go 

into one day and eat exactly 
the same thing at the same 
time for every meal that you 
did the day before and have 
a completely different out-
come,” Wolin said. “It’s sort 
of the understanding that you 
always have to be on your toes, 
because if you were to relax 
for about more than five min-
utes, you could get yourself 
into a problem. You have to 
be hyper vigilant and aware 
because in five minutes, your 
entire existence could com-
pletely change.”

Scientists say this recent 

discovery could help people 
like Walter and Wolin who 
suffer from hypoglycemia and 
hope the research will contin-
ue to produce results.

DIABETES
From Page 1

heart transplant, as recipients 
of this device currently must 
be, but his ability to go home 
and be among his family for the 
holiday season is unique among 
eligible recipients.

“They could call me any day 

and tell me they’ve got that 
heart,” Larkin said. “Any day.”

Don Isaacs, vice president of 

communications for SynCardia 
Systems, Inc., said the timing 
was crucial.

“It’s a lot harder to bring back 

a patient who has already expe-
rienced damage versus getting 
our heart in there before the 
organs suffer any type of dam-
age,” Isaacs said.

The Freedom Driver weighs 

about 13 pounds and can be 
carried around in a backpack. 
SynCardia’s previous device 
weighed 418-pound.

The device is constantly 

pumping and makes consider-
able noise. It works by deliv-
ering compressed air into the 
ventricles through two tubes 
exiting the body.

Larkin said the machine 

took some getting used to.

“I had to get used to the 

tubes coming out of my stom-
ach,” he said. “I had no choice 
but to get used to it, but it’s 

helped me so far.”

Larkin said he was 16 when 

he collapsed at a basketball 
game and doctors discovered 
a condition called arrhythmo-
genic right ventricular dys-
plasia. Since then, his heart 
condition deteriorated until 
Nov. 7, 2014, when his heart 
was replaced with the Total 
Artificial Heart.

Isaacs said the Freedom 

Driver, which was approved 
by the FDA in June 2014 as a 
bridge to transplantation, is 
calibrated to function as a heart 
replacement.

“People don’t die from heart 

disease; they die from heart 
disease not providing enough 
blood and nutrition and oxy-
gen to the vital organs,” Isaacs 
said. 
“Biventricular 
failure 

means that both the left and 
right ventricles are going bad, 
so the point of our device is to 
prevent any damage to the vital 
organs.”

Haft said the device has 

proved beneficial so far.

“It’s not a burden for him,” 

Haft said. “He’s delighted to not 
have heart failure symptoms, 
and I think he’s enjoying his life 
out of the hospital, despite the 
extra effort that’s made to deal 
with the complexities of this 
equipment.”

Larkin, meanwhile, is just 

happy to just be out of the hospital.

HEART
From Page 1

The University of Califor-

nia, Los Angeles, for example, 
employs a policy to govern the 
ways in which the institution 
uses data collected during the 
admissions process, called the 
Policy on Access to Student Data. 
The policy allows access to stu-
dent data on a case-by-case basis 
as determined by the registrar’s 
office. The procedure also pro-
vides provisions for researchers 
and student organizations access-
ing data as well.

Hilton said the University con-

tinues to explore new uses for 
data analysis. The important part, 
he said, is to do so with the right 
policies and procedures in place.

“The question my office has 

been looking at isn’t about collect-
ing new data, it’s about using data 
already collected in new ways to 

improve learning,” Hilton said. 
“It’s about using data analytics to 
inform the classroom and doing 
that in ways that are secure and 
honor privacy expectations.”

However, some students and 

faculty have advised caution as 
the project moves forward.

Pharmaceutical 
Sciences 

Prof. David Smith, a member of 
SACUA, said while he believes the 
collection of data is a good initia-
tive and can benefit students, he 
is wary of the quality of collected 
data.

During Hilton’s SACUA pre-

sentation 
in 
August, 
Smith 

raised concerns about how a 
policy of optional data collec-
tion would create an unreliable 
data set.

“If you only get people who 

respond who do very well or very 
poorly, you don’t have a good rep-
resentative of the class and the 
data and interpretation would be 
skewed,” Smith said. “There has 

to be some way to determine if 
the data is really representing the 
group as a whole.”

LSA junior Michael Fakhoury 

said students providing data 
should have access to information 
about the process.

“If the University is using 

previously collected data, the 
students should be aware and 
consent that their information 
will be used as part of a study,” 
he said.

However, Hilton said the only 

way for the data collected by 
the University to be beneficial 
is if it is analyzed and used for 
research purposes.

“All of the data in the world, 

without 
asking 
questions 
or 

analysis, is useless,” Hilton said. 
“Large data sets render up a 
whole lot of questions. A lot of 
people think that data automati-
cally answers a lot of questions, 
but it doesn’t. You have to figure 
it out.”

DATA
From Page 1

SUSPENSION
From Page 1

SACUA
From Page 1

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